P. A. D. S.
Public Action to Deliver Shelter
2nd and 5th Tuesdays
October - April
Contact: moderator@firstchurchlf.org
Directions to PADS site


Soup Kitchen 
3rd Friday
4 - 7 p.m.
every month
Prepare food and/or
Serve the guests

Contact: moderator@firstchurchlf.org
Directions to Soup Kitchen

 
 
 

 

  Mission
 

NEAL SCHOOL UPDATE
 
August 2010

The Mission committee recently
hosted Jennifer Grumhaus, a member of Board of the North Chicago Community Partners and one of our links to Neal Math and Science Academy. Jennifer outlined the Church School Partnership which supports the community school by using the physical structure of the school building beyond school day activities.
 It serves as a community center for students, parents, teachers and other community members. First Pres serves in various ways that enhance the education of the middle schoolers at Neal.

 Our first year of participation with Neal School was in 2008-2009
 and our major support was in physical upgrading of the facility with leadership from Jim Mayhall and Mitch Engel and instituting a
monthly luncheon for the teachers organized by Dorothy Chantler and Cindy Johnson. In 2009-2010 we contributed to an after school component for the students that included a drumming circle led by Corey Nelson and others and a tae kwon do class led by Curt Wang. This year, 2010-2011, our goal is to maintain and expand successful programs including the lunches and after school programs while adding a new component to help in the education of the youth during the day.

 Members of the Mission Committee will be presenting information about this ministry to groups within the church in the coming months and offer a bus tour to Neal School for a first hand view of this ministry. If you are interested in learning more or offering to help, contact pastor Corey Nelson cnelson@firstchurchlf.org.

Mission Update August/September 2010

Sarah’s Circle: one of our partner agencies in the city that serves women who are homeless and/or in need of a safe space, is embarking on a campaign to raise money for the purchase and renovation of a building.  This building, 4836 N. Sheridan Rd. will be the new “home” for Sarah’s Circle.   The building will house all of the current programs; provide space for growth and ten units of permanent, supportive housing for women with a history of chronic homelessness.  Sarah’s Circle will be blending multiple sources of funds for the purchase and renovation which will include the use of Illinois Housing Development Authority’s Affordable Housing Tax Credits.  This is the exciting part: through this program, donors for this project are able to receive a tax credit against their Illinois income tax liability, as well as charitable donation on their federal tax return.  Kathy Ragnar, the Executive Director, will be with us in worship and sharing during of this amazing opportunity during fellowship time on Sunday, September 19
Please plan to stick around to hear her presentation and invite a friend to join you.

 Fall Rummage Sale:  September 25  If you are able to assist in the set-up, sale and/or clean-up, please contact Dawn Neal [dneal60@prodigy.net],
Beth Jones [bethfjones@comcast.net] or Laura Johnson [lauraj330@yahoo.com].

 Wicker Park Grace [New Church Development]:  
The new Presbyterian Church we have been supporting in the city is hosting a
fund-raiser which promises to be one of the hippest events in the history of our mission partners.  This is no stuffy black-tie affair.  The Third Annual Brew-Ha-Ha, an evening of comedy improv, featuring Panic Button & Rhythm Method (I don’t know who they are, either, because I am not young enough or cool enough, but I trust it will be a ton of fun)The event is Tuesday, September 21 at the Chicago Theatre Building, Stage 733, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.  Doors open at 7:00 and the show starts at 7:30pm.  Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at
www.wickerparkgrace.net.  I will be there and hope to have
a bunch of you join me.

 Career Resource Center:  Celebrating 20 years of service to the unemployed and underemployed, CRC will be having a celebration on Wednesday, September 29 from 6:30 pm to 10 pm at Highland Park Country Club.  The dinner will specifically honor First Presbyterian Church, the “founding fathers and mothers,” for being the visionaries who made this all possible.  During the celebration, they will be highlighting our members who were instrumental in creating, organizing and running the agency in its early years and continue to staff the center as volunteers ever since.  A more formal announcement with ticket sales will be advertised in early September, but put the date on your calendar now.

 Opportunity International:  One of our new mission partners, Opportunity International, will host its 2010 Fall Microfinance Conference for people who want to learn more about microfinance and the work to bring financial services to people living in poverty in the developing world. 
This conference will be held October 8, 2010 8:30 am – Saturday, October 9, 2010 12:00 pm EST at the Marriott Crystal Gateway in Arlington, Virginia
This is a wonderful chance to meet Opportunity International leaders and supporters, learn more about cutting-edge microfinance products and services, and hear the amazing stories of clients who are working their way out of poverty.  
Again, it would be great if one or two of you could go and come back fired up to share with our church the ways in which our partnership with Opportunity can further help
to end global poverty.  The non-refundable $125 registration fee (per person) covers a portion of the costs for hosting this educational conference.
As always, they everyone to pay their own travel and hotel expenses so that more of their operating budget can go directly to programs.  For more information, contact: Lauren Jones at
ljones@opportunity.org or 630-242-4153.

 

 

Contact cnelson@firstchurchlf.org  for more Mission information.

 

   700 North Sheridan Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045 phone: (847) 234-6250 fax: (847) 234-6283